The Valdotain Tresse - VT and XT Climbing Hitch

[SeanKroll]

I believe the HH knot is a Valdotain (contrast VT-Valdotain-tresse (braids)).


French prussic, contrast english prussick (6-coil tied with a loop).

 

[CurSedVoyce]

HH with Prussia and the new Holster tending link from WesSpur. Prussia cordage is my cooing however.

 

[pantheraba]

Re: Knut...this is where I learned about it:

http://www.treebuzz.com/pdf/climbing_hitches.pdf

page 5 of the article is where the Knut starts...a good picture on page 6 (Fig. 17 and 1

 

[Joezilla11]

That hh holster looks cool �� anyone know why they stopped selling the sewn horseshoe tether? That’s still my favorite especially the way u can run ur rope back thru the tether before clipping in to ur bridge for ddrt

 

[Tree09]

The valdotain and the helical are very closely related, almost the same knot. I think the only difference is the termination. I'll get a pic tomorrow am, forgot to get one this afternoon

http://storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDevicesPage/AscenderDevices.shtml

For some reason I can't post the exact page, but it's under ascender knots and then the valdotain. Now I'm gonna nerd out on dr. Storricks website again, learn something every time I look at it

 

[treetx]

There are as many climbing knots are there are bored climbers.

A 4-2 VT is a tough animal to beat.

 

[Brocky]

Not sure who invented the Helical, but I first saw it in On Rope. Then saw it in a knot book labeled the Penberthy. The big difference between it and the other hitches being discussed is it has a single eye.

The hitch in CurSed's picture is the French Prusik, typically five or more wraps and one crossing, or braid in the back. There is a similar hitch, the Autoblock, that is all wraps and no braid in the back.

The function of the VT depends largely on the length of the eye legs, as Burham stated. There is a slight difference on how the first braid is made, but it would only come into play if the legs were too long. In Mugg's video, I'm not sure that last braid in front does anything friction wise. Using two braids with much shorter legs would be better, I think.

Yeah, I'm one bored climber, treetx.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Time to sharpen some saws!

 

[Joezilla11]

Well I tried that hitch that’s in Kevin b’s avatar and as soon as I sat in it it locked up so tight I was stuck. I’m gonna leave that one alone for now

 

[Brocky]

Without knowing the details, my guess would be that it was too short. If it was the French Prusik, its function also depends on the length of the tails like the VT.

 

[treebilly]

CV do you have a link to the tending tether by any chance? TS carried it for a week I think and I missed my chance.

 

[TreeMuggs]

My HH2 came today! Super stoked to try it out!

 

[treebilly]

I love mine. Still love my original but the hh2 is a bit more compact. The fact that it's so simple is what I love.

 

[TreeMuggs]

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
- Leonardo da Vinci

 

[CurSedVoyce]

CV do you have a link to the tending tether by any chance? TS carried it for a week I think and I missed my chance.

http://www.wesspur.com/ascenders/mechanical-friction-hitches.html#asc184-h

 

[SeanKroll]

Wonder if that fits the HH?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If you mean the original, yes. It fits both.

 

[SeanKroll]

Thanks.

I haven't seen a need to upgrade to slightly more compact HH2. And haven't noticed any sign of wear to speak of. The 'spine' definitely doesn't have the original anodized finish intact.

Bombproof.

 

[TreeMuggs]

Loving my Hitch Hiker... thanks for the link to the holster

 

[CurSedVoyce]

YVW, enjoy.
Best devise I have found that makes the transition of teaching some one that knows old school Ddrt and DRT and bring them more into the dark side.

 

[TreeMuggs]

Do you mean that you can clip your terminal end to the holster and go back into DdRT? I thought it was just a clip in point for rope walking...

 

[SeanKroll]

The holster is not life support.

I used an tied eye-and-eye of Sterling 5mm Tech cord (5000+ breaking strength). I thought it might work for a DdRT attachment point. I don't use it that way for long. I either clip or tie through the bridge ring. Paul Cox mentioned that he terminated his HH DdRT via a big- loop bowline.

 

[TreeMuggs]

K, Thank you. I know I'm late to the hitch hiker party but I'm hungry for knowledge. Someone told me to consult JB Holdway. Any other resources I should be checking out?

 

[Burnham]

Find everything DMc has had to say on the subject. Do some searches here. There has certainly been an evolution of knowledge base with the HH, so don't get stuck at any one point thinking you've got it all.

 

[SkwerI]

http://www.wesspur.com/ascenders/mechanical-friction-hitches.html#asc184-h

This image is very close to the 4-1 VT I used the last 8-10 years of my climbing career, except I laid the crossover with the top leg under the bottom leg. This simple move made a massive difference in the amount of rope twist because it helped cancel out most of the twisting forces from the 4 wraps. If all your wraps twist the rope in the same direction then you will have massive rope twist. This will pretty much restrict you to very slow, short descents because a long, fast descent will twist your rope up so bad it will knot up on itself.